Living Art as Essential: A Case Study of a Living Composer’s Music in a High School Orchestra

This study explores the issues surrounding living composers’ music, its pedagogical application in teaching, and the potential benefits and challenges it presents. Drawing on Westerlund and López-Íñiguez’s (2025) concept of practice in context, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of artistic work and its broader social, institutional, and educational environments, this research positions contemporary music not only as a musical product but as a socially embedded practice. Through an extensive qualitative case study conducted over a six-month period, the implementation of a contemporary music piece, composed by the orchestra director, within a high school arts program was examined. The findings revealed both challenges and rewards. The director’s tailored pedagogy to individual students emerged as a necessary step in promoting living art. Students initially faced difficulty engaging with the unfamiliar tonal language, complex rhythms, and notational demands of the piece, compounded by limited prior exposure to living composers’ music. However, the experience also resulted in improved technical skills, broadened musical understanding, and a deeper appreciation for the value of contemporary music. Ultimately, the study found that although living composers’ music is often mischaracterized as “high art,” it holds significant potential as a transformative force for community building and educational relevance when supported by responsive pedagogy and consistent exposure.